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European Roadmap for Mental Health

Posted on 11/05/2012

Experts from King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) are playing a key role in developing a new mental health research strategy in Europe.

Mental health disorders affect 38 in 100 Europeans and nine of the ten countries with the highest rates of suicide in the world are in Europe. The Roadmap for Mental Health Research in Europe (ROAMER) project is being led by EU scientists with extensive involvement from users, family members, carers, clinicians and policy-makers. Structured into six key areas, the project aims to improve and promote high-quality mental health research and enable better translation from research into treatment programmes and public health initiatives.

The six work groups focus on research infrastructures and funding; biomedical research; psychological research and treatments; socio-economic aspects; public health research and well-being.

Professor Til Wykes Vice Dean for Research at the IoP at King’s, along with Professor Shon Lewis from the University of Manchester, is leading the writing group responsible for integrating the information into roadmaps. Professor Gunter Schumann (Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the IoP at King's) is leading the biomedical research group, and Professor Graham Thornicroft and Dr Sara Evans-Lacko (both from the Health Services and Population Research Department at the IoP at King's), along with Dr David McDaid from the London School of Economics, is leading the socio-economic working group.

Prof Wykes says: ‘The percentage of the overall budget dedicated to mental health research in Europe is much lower than in other developed nations. By drawing on the vast expertise of scientists across Europe, we aim to deliver a road map for mental health and well-being based on the best biological, psychological, epidemiological, public health and socio-economic evidence.’

ROAMER is a three year project launched in October 2011. The project is funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme.

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